Once you’ve committed to writing a book, the task of creating enough material to anchor your ideas and build out a two-hundred-something-page work can seem daunting, to say the least. However, if you’re a thought leader in your field and have committed to bringing your ideas to the world in other mediums or modes of communication, you may be further along in the process than you realize.
If you have already written or spoken about the core themes you hope to emphasize in your book—in blog posts, speeches, or even social media, as just a few examples—your first order of business may not be creating new material but, instead, simply gathering the material already at your fingertips. More likely than not, this process will help you not only to determine and emphasize which themes are most important but also to discover your voice, your audience, and so much more.
A book is a conversation between an author and their readers. Many people dream of writing a book, but how do you know if you’re really ready to start working on your book? To start a conversation, you have to know what you want to say.
Thinking about your project like a discussion can help you tackle some of the biggest challenges you face when you start writing: Determining your message, your audience, and your market is essential before you begin. Asking yourself three questions will let you know it’s time to start talking… err, writing.
Many people dream of someday writing a book, but without a clear message and plan of action very few will even write the first word. Here are some tips on how to start writing a book from an editor with more than a decade of publishing-industry experience and hundreds of manuscripts under her belt.
00:00 – Hi, I'm Amber. I'm an editor at Greenleaf Book Group, and today we're going to talk about why a manuscript would need an editor.
00:13 – Even when you're a wonderful writer, a professional editor can always help improve your manuscript. Maybe your book needs just a bit of finessing, or maybe it needs more of an overhaul. Either way, an editor can be a valuable partner. That's the case because authors tend to be very close to their subject matter. They've often worked on the project for years, and it's incredibly helpful to have someone else sit down, approach the work with a fresh perspective, and point out any blind spots that may have developed in the author's vision of their own work and that's precisely what a good editor does.
00:44 – Whether the changes they suggest are big like changing the whole focus of the book, or cutting out entire chapters, or small like punctuation and grammar, the book editor always serves two masters. First, they serve the eventual reader of the book. The editor points out to the author passages that may confuse or annoy or bore or possibly even offend the reader, then they suggest how to fix the problem. They also work on catching errors and omissions. Without this work done, the reader may regard the work as unprofessional and be less invested in the author's message.
01:18 – The book editor’s second master is of course the author. The editor has to make sure that the author is on board with any changes to the book, and that any alterations maintain the spirit and tone of the author's work. An author should never feel that their book editor is putting him or herself into the book or making changes that don't feel warranted. So, a book editor is sort of a test reader really noticing what your readers might before you take the book to market.
01:44 – A professional editor is also willing to frankly point out the problems a more sympathetic test reader might not, say your husband or your mom. You have to really trust someone to put your work in their hands, but we highly recommend looking for a professional, experienced editor and taking that leap of faith. You'll always come away with a stronger book.
“I’ve heard horror stories about editors,” an author told me recently at the start of a project. Another said to me, “I was really expecting the worst during editing.” Horror stories? The worst? Really? What is going on in the publishing world that has authors dreading editors and their fiendish red pencils? I know a lot of editors, and I don’t think we’re a horrible lot. Yet editors do offer up similar lamentations about working with authors: “I need to start charging a stupidity fee” or “Why won’t they just accept that I’m right.” If you’re on either side of this editorial war, I recommend you read on for some rules of engagement:
An acknowledgment section might initially seem like the simplest part of writing your book, but many authors feel stumped once they reach this part of the publishing process. How long should it be? Who to thank? How to say it? It can get surprisingly complicated surprisingly quickly. Read on for our tips on how to write a great book acknowledgment page.
Who to Thank in Your Acknowledgements
Similar to making a wedding invitation list, the names of people you want to include may seem to pile on top of each other fifty per minute once you start brainstorming, leaving you overwhelmed with who to thank. A good rule of thumb is to stick only to the people who helped you directly in writing and producing the book (ie: not your friend from pre-K who showed you how to tie your shoes, as invaluable that life lesson may be). Common acknowledgment ideas are family members, sources for nonfiction pieces, your editor and designer/illustrator, your publisher, and your book mentor. BPS also has a good piece of advice—“Be parsimonious in your praise of animals, too.” Sorry, Spot.
Trying to sell a book with an uninteresting title is like trying to sell a homely pre-owned car—the buyer is probably going to browse right over the rusted ‘99 Saturn to check out the pristinely waxed Honda parked next door. Although the interior looks great, and the gas tank is full, the Saturn’s dullness holds no ground against the Armor-All tires of its competitor.
Your book’s title serves as the deal breaker for your target consumers. Take a lesson from the used-car analogyand don’t let a dull or overused phrase ruin a book’s selling potential. A title should attract the intended audience, communicate the promise of the book, and differentiate the book in the market. Pick a title with purpose! Here we’ll discuss how to make that purpose come to life with brainstorming techniques, essential titling elements, and some no-no’s to avoid when narrowing down your title.
